In this series we’ll take a fresh look at resources and how they are used. We’ll go beyond natural resources like air and water to look at how efficiency in raw materials can boost the bottom line and help the environment. We’ll also examine the circular economy and design for reuse — with an eye toward honoring those resources we do have.

While changes at home can’t solve the many environmental crises we face today, they can sure help. Through this series, we’ll explore how initiatives like curbside compost pick-up, rebates on compost bins, and efficient appliances can help families reduce their impact without breaking the bank.

Despite decades -- centuries even -- of global efforts, slavery can still be found not just on the high seas, but around the world and throughout various supply chains. Through this series on forced labor, sponsored by C&A Foundation, we’ll explore many different types of bonded and forced labor and highlight industries where this practice is alive and well today.

In this series we examine how companies should respond to national controversy like police violence and the BLM movement to best support employees and how can companies work to improve equality by increasing diversity in their ranks directly.

Compost is often considered a panacea for the United States’ tremendous food waste problem. Indeed, composting is a much better option than putting spoiled food in a garbage can destined for a landfill.

Oil. The world’s appetite for Canada’s oil resources seems bottomless. While the U.S. debates the Alberta-to-Texas Keystone Pipeline, British Columbia is debating sending oil tankers to Asia.

There are currently two proposals to bring more and bigger oil supertankers to B.C.’s coast, so that Alberta’s oilsands crude can be shipped to overseas. In the north, the proposed Enbridge pipeline would bring 225 oil tankers into the coastal inlets of the Great Bear Rainforest. In the south, pipeline company Kinder Morgan proposes tripling the number of oil tankers navigating through Vancouver Harbour. It is a tale as old as time: The people and the environment bear the risk of spills while oil harvesters enjoy the profits. And some British Columbians are not willing to sit back and watch their resplendent coastline be put at risk of catastrophic spills. They are targeting federal, provincial and local governments to legislate bans and and pass motions to create multi-layer protection against an assult on the beautiful coast.

To build support, NoTankers.ca launched an oily ducky campaign. Black, oily rubber duckies are popping up in fountains all over Vancouver. The stunt is part of a campaign to remind British Columbians they have a powerful voice in the debate over the future of B.C.’s coast.

“British Columbians bear the burden of risk should the proposed pipelines go ahead,” says Emma Gilchrist, Communications Director for Dogwood Initiative, which runs the No Tankers campaign. “These wee rubber duckies are up against oil companies with multi-million dollar advertising budgets and we want to make sure citizens know they can take a stand, sign the petition at notankers.ca and become part of the No Tankers movement.” The campaign launched yesterday with 450 oily rubber duckies released into the urban jungle starting at the Bentall 5 fountain in downtown BC. The rubber ducks will not be doused in real oil, of course. In case you were worried, they will be cleaned and given to good homes afterwards. It is the organizer’s hope that real ducks, and other wildlife, can be saved by this campaign.

You can join the movement to keep tankers out of B.C.’s pristine waters by adding your name to the growing petition of more than 130,000 signatures at notankers.ca. Follow the conversation on Twitter by searching #NoTankers.

Connie Kwanis the founder and CEO of RealMealz.comin Silicon Valley, CA. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School, and covers stories on food and health sustainability. Follow her on Twitter@RealMealzand@conniemkwan.

Connie Kwan is a Product Manager and Entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley, CA. She builds teams to deliver products that benefit people, planet and profit. She holds an MBA in Sustainability at Presidio Graduate School and blogs about sustainability and business at Sustainable Thinking: Applied (http://blog.conniekwan.com)

One response

BC is following Alberta’s lead in a great many things. Alberta Conservatives are presently shipping some 41 billion dollar a year of Taxpayer money down the pipelines. I am one of those people saying no more pipelines or transportation of any kind until the books are fixed, probably by another election!